Anticipating the Pages: A Pre-Review of a Book I Can't Wait to Read 🔑

Okay, so this is a little bit different from the other reviews, as I haven't actually... read the book yet. But wait, just hear me out.

I recently bought Games Untold by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and though I won't have the chance to read it just yet, as I have other books I want to read, I just wanted to talk about how it made me feel complete.

I first discovered Jennifer Lynn Barnes in 2022 when I persuaded my family to buy me The Inheritance Games. From the moment of the first chapter, I fell in love with the character of Avery and, as I continued through the series, the dynamic of the Hawthorne brothers. There was something about the mystery plot interwoven with the romance that I hadn't read before, and since then it became one of my favourite book series. I began to build my collection, trading the paperbacks for hardcovers and giving them pride of place on my bookshelves, forgoing the usual alphabetical order. Lucky them! I bought The Naturals series, also by her, in 2023, after months of persuading myself I didn't need to buy them. But in the end, of course I did. Was there really any chance of me not?

But I digress. When I heard that Games Untold was coming out, I knew I needed it, but at that point, it was just a waiting game, thinking that it was never going to be my chance to finally own it. To be honest, I forgot about it for a little bit. I had already bought The Grandest Games a few months previously, and was deciding on when it was best to reread everything, to feel the magic of the world once again with the mystery and the relationships I enjoyed so much.

Under the dust jacket

But a few weeks ago, there was a trip to Waterstones that was calling my name. A trip that invoked the love and passion for the series once again. I had forgotten about the book, and when I realised that it was out, I just had to buy it. The cover itself is stunning, and that's only as a dust jacket, so it begged the question of what the hardback actually looked like underneath. Revealing the hardcover was a mesmerising experience, especially when it unveiled a white cover with gold writing on the front and spine.

The Incredible Timeline - I didn't even know I needed this!!

To my amazement, the stories inside not only had a timeline that developed the universe and determined where they fell in line with the other books, but also sketches that related to the stories being told. Incredible drawings at that! It was stunning how a simple landscape could be sketched so beautifully in this novel.

So no, maybe I haven't read it yet, but everything that I have seen about it is making the wait so much more worth it. It makes me know that when I do eventually read it, it will be everything I ever wanted and more.

Isn't this the most stunning drawing to be seen in a novel. I was stunned when I saw it!

Until the next chapter,

#BellesBookBabble